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EDITORIAL: UA must take swift decisive action

Published: Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 7:06 p.m.

Winning a national championship has focused a lot of positive attention on the University of Alabama’s football team. Unfortunately, that’s not why four Crimson Tide football players are in the news this week.

Tuesday, the university announced that D.J. Pettway, Eddie Williams, Tyler Hayes and Brent Calloway have been indefinitely suspended. Pettway, Williams and Hayes, according to police reports, admitted to attacking two other students, stealing a backpack containing a computer from one student and a wallet containing cash and credit cards from another. They are charged with second-degree robbery. Calloway is charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, for allegedly using one of the students’ stolen credit cards to make a purchase.

Since police say the players have admitted to the crimes, that makes their suspension imperative; university officials made the correct decision and they should proceed as swiftly, decisively and transparently as possible toward final disposition of their cases.

If they conclude that the players did commit the acts they are accused of, they should be permanently expelled and dissociated from the UA athletic program. Some fans have already begun to call for leniency and claim that they “made a mistake.” Second-degree robbery isn’t a mistake. It’s a willful act.

And it’s an act that can’t be tolerated on the University of Alabama campus and it can’t be tolerated from people who publicly represent the university. Parents pay to send their children here for an education. The university has an obligation to provide them with a safe environment.

If four young men have squandered a promising future on the football field by acting like common thugs, that’s a shame. But it would be an even greater shame to ignore their crimes because of their athletic talents. The entire sporting world is watching UA today, and how university officials respond will tell the world where UA’s priorities lie.

Not too long ago, University of Alabama fans were mocking their cross-state rivals when members of Auburn University’s football team were involved in armed robbery. This should serve as a lesson to fans that no college football team is immune from embarrassing acts committed by players, no matter how strict the coach or diligent the staff.

But neither are the acts of a few players an indictment of an entire program. No matter what steps are taken, the organization is simply too large to fully police every member every minute of the day.

What UA can do is demand that its players live up to the standards of character and integrity that it claims to instill in athletes. How university officials handle this high profile incident should not only address the actions of four football players, it should let every UA athlete know what is expected of them. With all eyes focused on UA, university officials should demonstrate that they demand character and integrity from the people who represent the institution.

<p>Winning a national championship has focused a lot of positive attention on the University of Alabama's football team. Unfortunately, that's not why four Crimson Tide football players are in the news this week.</p><p>Tuesday, the university announced that D.J. Pettway, Eddie Williams, Tyler Hayes and Brent Calloway have been indefinitely suspended. Pettway, Williams and Hayes, according to police reports, admitted to attacking two other students, stealing a backpack containing a computer from one student and a wallet containing cash and credit cards from another. They are charged with second-degree robbery. Calloway is charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, for allegedly using one of the students' stolen credit cards to make a purchase.</p><p>Since police say the players have admitted to the crimes, that makes their suspension imperative; university officials made the correct decision and they should proceed as swiftly, decisively and transparently as possible toward final disposition of their cases.</p><p>If they conclude that the players did commit the acts they are accused of, they should be permanently expelled and dissociated from the UA athletic program. Some fans have already begun to call for leniency and claim that they “made a mistake.” Second-degree robbery isn't a mistake. It's a willful act.</p><p>And it's an act that can't be tolerated on the University of Alabama campus and it can't be tolerated from people who publicly represent the university. Parents pay to send their children here for an education. The university has an obligation to provide them with a safe environment. </p><p>If four young men have squandered a promising future on the football field by acting like common thugs, that's a shame. But it would be an even greater shame to ignore their crimes because of their athletic talents. The entire sporting world is watching UA today, and how university officials respond will tell the world where UA's priorities lie.</p><p>Not too long ago, University of Alabama fans were mocking their cross-state rivals when members of Auburn University's football team were involved in armed robbery. This should serve as a lesson to fans that no college football team is immune from embarrassing acts committed by players, no matter how strict the coach or diligent the staff.</p><p>But neither are the acts of a few players an indictment of an entire program. No matter what steps are taken, the organization is simply too large to fully police every member every minute of the day.</p><p>What UA can do is demand that its players live up to the standards of character and integrity that it claims to instill in athletes. How university officials handle this high profile incident should not only address the actions of four football players, it should let every UA athlete know what is expected of them. With all eyes focused on UA, university officials should demonstrate that they demand character and integrity from the people who represent the institution.</p>